Dubs Dynasty Re-Born | A Warriors MyLeague Franchise

[marshdaddy]

Game: NBA 2K20
Roster: 2K Original as of October 30, 2019
Sliders/MyLeague Sliders: Schnaidt's Sliders
Quarter Length: 8-10 minutes
Approach and Presentation:
Playing every game of the 2019-20 NBA season in real-time, updating the league with real-life trades (where applicable) including trades of my own. Once the playoffs end, we will increase the timing into future seasons to a to be determined number of games played to simulated ratio.

Almost every game recap is posted to the team website (https://sites.google.com/view/golden...read_current=1) along with updated schedule, standings and roster, when possible. While the official team page will attempt to mirror that of a real NBA team, this thread will more closely resemble a fan base blog, with more “honest” takes on the team, moves, and potential plans. Basically it’s Bryan Colangelo’s burner combined with Woj’s Twitter feed.

The draft class is from King Ken for his 2020 Draft with some adjustments as players rise and fall.

Since the season in its final third, the first (second if you want to be technical) post will serve as a recap of what has happened thus far, including current trades and the reasoning behind them, current standings, and noteworthy storylines. The goal is to do daily posts, either on the Warriors games, reactions, thoughts or news from around the league.

The NBA.com screen captures are courtesy of TheDominator273 and his Timberwolves blog.

Thanks for following. If there are any stories you'd like to see explored, let me know. Go Dubs.

[marshdaddy]

The biggest headline of the first half was the four-team blockbuster that rearranged playoff contenders in the West and East. Boston added valuable center depth in Clint Capela, and later Nemanja Bjelica in a separate deal, as well as additional draft picks in the first rounds of the next four drafts. The deal did, however, cost them Jaylen Brown, who had been struggling in his first season since signing his extension. The Celtics went 7-4 in their first 11 games after the trade.

Brown turned into a different player upon arrival in Golden State, who proved critics right by jettisoning D’Angelo Russell to Minnesota. In his first five games with Golden State, Brown averaged 26.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.0 blocks per game, including three double-doubles.

The Warriors made a point to integrate Brown into the offense, as he shot 58.8% from the floor and 54.2% from beyond the arc. In the first game back from the All Star break, Brown notched his first career triple-double (23/20/10) in a win over the Rockets, becoming just the fourth player under 24 years of age to have a 20+ point, 20+ rebound and 10+ assist game.

The Rockets have struggled out of the gate after the trade, going 5-5 with Covington scoring in double-figures just twice.

The Timberwolves made the deal despite being in the heart of the playoff hunt. Since the deal, they’ve been 2-8 and hold, as of February 27, a one-game edge on the San Antonio Spurs for the eight seed.


Surprise Successes:
The Warriors, on the back of MVP-level play from Stephen Curry, are proving the 19-20 season is not a year off. Curry leads the NBA in scoring, putting up 35.2 points per game to go along with 6.3 rebounds and 6.9 assists. He is leading the NBA in three-point shooting yet again, averaging 5.0 makes per game on 45 percent shooting, on pace to threaten to break his own three-point record.

The aforementioned Timberwolves have been competitive throughout, though their poor defense (112.1 points per game) and point differential (-0.2) are bad omens for the stretch run, and are big players in their recent six-game losing streak.
Meanwhile, the Spurs, sitting at 30-27, own a +2.7 point differential, though inconsistent play on the road (13-17) have them still fighting to chase down the Timberwolves.

In the East, you don’t have to look far to see the biggest surprises, a Chicago (33-26) and Detroit (33-27) have disrupted the playoff hunt and are fighting for a first round bye, sitting at third and fourth in the East. Reggie Jackson is enjoying a career-year in Detroit, averaging 22.6 points per game and 5.1 rebounds. Meanwhile, Blake Griffin is still in All Star form, averaging 22.5, 7.0, 5.2.

In Chicago, Zach Lavine (26.1, 4.2, 3.2) and Lauri Markkanen (18.4, 9.5, 1.3) lead a feisty and young Bulls group as they look to make noise in the spring.

The Hawks, at 32-28 and sixth in the East, have been powered by Trae Young (24.4, 3.0, 6.1) and sit just two games behind Boston (33-25) for the two-seed in the East. However, like Minnesota, their defense remains a trouble spot as they are allowing 113.7 points per game and a -0.6 point differential, second worst among current playoff teams in the East (Brooklyn is at -2.0 while averaging 113.2 points per game).


Appreciate you tuning in, if there are any stories you’d like to hear outside the Warriors, let me know. New posts coming this weekend. Go Dubs.

Standings (as of 2.27)

Western
L.A. Lakers 49-9
Golden State 48-11
Houston 42-16
L.A. Clippers 36-23
Utah 35-23
Oklahoma City 35-24
Denver 32-26
Minnesota 31-26

San Antonio 30-27
Phoenix 24-35
Portland 23-37
Dallas 22-37
Sacramento 20-38
Memphis 18-40
New Orleans 18-40

Eastern
Philadelphia 39-21
Boston 33-25
Chicago 33-26
Detroit 33-27
Milwaukee 32-26
Atlanta 32-28
Toronto 30-28
Brooklyn 28-29

Orlando 28-30
Miami 25-33
New York 24-35
Charlotte 22-36
Indiana 21-38
Cleveland 19-39
Washington 14-43


Notable Trades:

GSW-MIN-BOS-HOU Four-Team Blockbuster
GSW Acquire: Jaylen Brown (from BOS)
MIN Acquire: D’Angelo Russell (from GSW); Daniel Theis (from BOS); Jacob Evans III (from GSW)
BOS Acquire: Clint Capela (from HOU); ‘20 1st (from HOU); ‘21 Top 5 Protected (from MIN); ‘22 1st (from GSW)
HOU Acquire: Robert Covington (from MIN)

CLE-ATL-SAC
CLE Acquire: Evan Turner (from ATL); DeAndre Bembry (from ATL); ‘20 2nd (from SAC via CLE); ‘21 2nd (from SAC)
ATL Acquire: Tristan Thompson (from CLE); Dewayne Dedmon (from SAC)
SAC Acquire: Jabari Parker (from ATL); Alex Len (from ATL)

GSW-UTA
GSW Acquire: Ed Davis; ‘21 2nd, Swap Worst with NO (via CHI)
UTA Acquire: Willie Cauley-Stein

SAC-BOS
SAC Acquire: Vincent Poirier; Carsen Edwards; Semi Ojeleye; ‘20 2nd, Swap Worst with BKN (via NYK)
BOS Acquire: Nemanja Bjelica; Justin James; Anthony Tolliver

GSW-CHI-ORL
GSW Acquire: Kris Dunn (via CHI); Daniel Gafford (via CHI)
CHI Acquire: Alec Burks (via GSW); Melvin Frazier Jr. (via ORL); ‘21 2nd (via ORL); ‘22 2nd (via ORL)
ORL Acquire: Omari Spelmman (via GSW)

NYK-PHI
NYK Acquire: James Ennis; ‘20 2nd
PHI Acquire: Reggie Bullock

LAC-NYK-WAS Real Life Deal sending Marcus Morris to LAC

MEM-MIA Real Life Deal sending Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala to MIA (James Johnson not included, traded to SAC for Cory Joseph in December. Solomon Hill not included, traded to CHA for Cody Zeller and Robert Franks in December)

SAC-POR Real Life Deal sending Trevor Ariza to POR

UTA-CLE Real Life Deal sending Jordan Clarkson to UTA

ATL-MIN Real Life Deal sending Allen Crabbe to MIN

[marshdaddy]

02-28-20 NBA Headlines.jpg

Daily Dubs:

The full game recap for Thursday night’s 118-98 win is available here:

The five things we’re hearing:
Must-Win
Players and coaches saw Thursday night’s game as a must-win. Having lost at the buzzer to the Lakers in the first meeting and then again in overtime in the second, the team felt they needed this win to provide a belief that they could hang with the league’s best team. The 20-point win did just that.

Different Approach
Ed Davis played a bigger role than many expected. The Warriors got demolished on the inside in the first two meetings with L.A., but managed to dominate the rebound battle 58-42 on Thursday. Davis, who played 21 minutes and had six rebounds, could prove to be a bigger player in upcoming games.

Where is Eric?
Eric Paschall had six points on 3-for-4 shooting, his fourth-straight game scoring less than 10 points. His shooting percentage was higher from the previous three games (6-for-29), but he will need to prove that he can keep that efficiency with more attempts down the stretch. He still looked over-matched off the bounce, being forced to pick up his dribble on the drive multiple times.

Dunn Right
Kris Dunn had another efficient game, scoring 14 points with three boards and four dimes. This is the type of play the Warriors were hoping they’d get when they dealt Alec Burks, who was third on the team in scoring with Golden State, to Chicago. Dunn is on the final year of his rookie contract and is set to be a restricted free agent this summer. The Warriors certainly made this move with the intention of signing Dunn to a long-term contract this summer, something they likely either wouldn’t have had enough money for when considering the mid-level exception, or wouldn’t have been able to do with the Bulls owning match-rights.

The Warriors are understanding that 10 games is not a large enough sample size to judge the deal a win, but they’re happy with the way the 25 year-old is performing and believe he could be a good fit moving forward when Klay Thompson returns.

Are Poole and Lee still in the picture?
Jordan Poole and Damion Lee both didn’t see the court on Thursday. Poole, who spent time in Santa Cruz in January has seen his minutes slowly dwindle, as has Damion Lee. Those opportunities have dropped even further with the arrivals of Jaylen Brown and Kris Dunn and the good play from Ky Bowman (10.8, 2.1, 2.8 in 15 minutes per game over 13 games). Lee signed a three-year deal, and Poole is the latest first round pick of the Warriors, but it’s beginning time to wonder where they fit into the roster this season and next.

[marshdaddy]

Wiggins (30), Russell (24) lead Timberwolves route of Magic
Kyrie unloads for 51 as Nets clip Hawks
Gasol and Powell lead Raptors over Hornets
Heat blast Mavs on the back of Butler’s 28
Bucks roll past Oklahoma City
Leonard and George lead Clipper route of Denver

Friday night saw a tightening of the race for the final seeds of the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Hawks loss to Brooklyn, along with the Raptors win, ties them for the six seed. Meanwhile, the Nets pulled within a game and half of the Hawks and Raptors with their win. The Magic lost their third straight game, falling two games back of the final playoff spot.

Jimmy Butler and the Heat got off to a slow start this season, but after having won five in a row, they’re now just 3.5 back of the Nets, with a chance to pull even closer on Saturday when the Nets head to Miami.

If the Heat believe they can make a run at the playoffs, they’re running out of time to make the final push. Without owning the tie-breaker against Orlando or Brooklyn, the Heat will need to remain hot as the season rolls on and hope they can catch a break with a losing streak from any of the teams ahead of them.

Out west, the Clippers win over Denver, coupled with the Thunder loss gives them some breathing room. However, the Jazz, who routed the Wizards on Friday, still sit just half a game back for the four seed. While the four seed would provide the Clippers homecourt advantage in the first round, it could line up a meeting with the Lakers in the Conference Semi Finals, something that those around the Clipper organization have mentioned they’d like to avoid. Staring at a six game deficit behind the Rockets for the third seed, the Clippers may have to accept that possibility.

That certainly could be nullified should the Warriors succeed in their pursuit of the top seed, though conversations around the Warrior organization following the win over the Lakers on Thursday seem to indicate they won’t go all out in that pursuit.

[marshdaddy]

NBA Headlines 03-04-20 (1).jpg

Full game recap is available here: https://sites.google.com/view/golden...-gsw-den-recap

Dubs Daily
What we’re hearing
Smailagic headed to Santa Cruz
Alen Smailagic, who has seen his minutes fading since the arrival of Zach Randolph and Vince Edwards call up from Santa Cruz, is headed to the G-League. Smailagic has enjoyed some success this year, but the team feels the minutes he was getting (9.1 per game) were not providing him with the appropriate opportunities to develop the way he needs. The team isn’t ruling him out for providing minutes in the playoffs, but with Ed Davis, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, Eric Paschall and Randolph in the rotation, the minutes will be hard to come by.


Ky Bowman Muddies the Water
Across the organization, all you’ll hear is loud praise for Ky Bowman. The former two-way player has played himself into the rotation, and since being there has done nothing to disappoint. He’s averaging more than 10 points per game in just over 13 minutes of action in 15 appearances, and has been given full responsibility to run and gun when he’s out there. Bowman is one of the Warriors’ most athletic players, and they’ve told him to not hold back when he’s on the court.

The issue becomes, where does Bowman fit into the rotation moving forward? When the Warriors traded for Kris Dunn, they envisioned him being the leader of the second unit when the roster returns to full health next season. Dunn certainly has the advantage over Dunn in terms of defensive ability and playmaking, but Bowman’s ability to attack relentlessly is nearly unmatched.

The Warriors are certainly happy and excited about Bowman’s development, but when Klay Thompson returns, either at the end of this season or the beginning of next, there are still people within the organization who are wondering where it all fits.


Klay Thompson’s Availability
Speaking of Klay, the Warriors continue to be quiet on his potential return this season. In a season where Stephen Curry doesn’t go nuclear, the Warriors don’t acquire Jaylen Brown and where they don’t sit half a game behind the Lakers for the top seed in the West, it’s an easy decision to sit Klay for the year. But all of those things have happened, and now the Dubs are left with the difficult decision to either shut down Klay completely or bring him back during the stretch run of the season, or potentially the postseason.

Klay is set to be evaluated next week, but that doesn’t mean the Warriors will announce their intentions. Some people around the organization hint at a return similar to that of Demarcus Cousins last season. If the doctors clear him, he can play. Does that mean he may be on a minutes restriction? In all likelihood, but a lineup with Klay in the playoffs changes the Warriors from a surprising playoff story, if under respected, to a legitimate Finals contender.

[marshdaddy]

Celtics roll continues, blast Cavaliers 124-100; Seven Celts in double-figures
OKC drops fourth straight, 124-103 to Detroit; Drummond has 29 points and 23 rebounds
Heat pull closer to postseason with 116-115 win over Orlando; Butler has 31-11-7
Nets struggles continue in 105-97 loss to Memphis; Morant has 21 in win
Mitchell scores 24 as Jazz down Knicks 105-83
Battle for East eight-seed tightens, Nets, Magic and Heat separated by 1.5 games

The playoff races are beginning to get muddied. Starting in the East, the two through five seeds are separated by just two games, with the Celtics holding a 1.5 game edge on the Bulls and Bucks. The race will undoubtedly tighten as we hit the 20-game remaining mark. Can the Bulls surprising success continue? Can Giannis carry the Bucks back up the standings?

At the bottom of the race, the Nets, Magic and Heat have also grown close in a battle for the conference’s eight and final seed. The Nets hold a 0.5 game edge on the Magic, but the Heat, winners of seven of their last eight, have pulled within 1.5 games after a one-point win over the Magic coupled with a Brooklyn loss. Can the Heat continue their hot streak during the final stretch of the season, and will Brooklyn’s struggles persist?

In the West, a Laker loss on Tuesday drops their lead to just 0.5 games over the Warriors for the conference’s top seed and homecourt advantage. The Lakers and Warriors should be safe from third-seeded Houston, who sits 8.5 back of the Lakers while owning a 4.5 edge over the Jazz.

Below Houston, things get contentious. The Jazz and Clippers are separated by just 0.5 games in the four and five seeds, potentially battling for the right to host the other in the first round. Below them is a four-team race for the conference’s final four spots. The Thunder lead the way in the six seed, but a four-game losing streak has their lead over the Timberwolves and just 0.5 games. The Spurs currently hold the eight seed but are just 0.5 games behind the Timberwolves themselves. And a further 0.5 games back sit the Nuggets, coming off a disappointing loss to the Warriors on Tuesday.

The race tightens up as we hit the stretch run, and with likely just the top two seeds in the West locked up and the top seed in the East under control, there is plenty of positioning and jostling to be had through the final 20+ games of the regular season.

[marshdaddy]

Saturday
Curry triple double leads Warriors over Sixers
Monk’s 25 leads Hornets upset of Rockets
Mitchell has 22 as Jazz clip Pistons 106-100
Nuggets roll Cavs thanks to 38 from Murray
Grizz damage Hawks playoff hopes, win 127-94

Sunday
Nets spiral continues, fall to Bulls 120-116
Clippers beat Lakers in Battle for L.A.
Walker and Tatum lead Celtics over Thunder in 156-145 shootout
Giannis drops 40 on Phoenix, Bucks win 118-116
Rockets rebound, drop Magic by 20
Butler’s 27 leads Heat over Wizards
Lowry has 17 dimes in 110-103 Raptors win over Kings


League Notes:
Golden State’s win over Philadelphia coupled with the Lakers loss to the Clippers gives the Dubs a half game lead over the Lakers forth seed

OKC’s struggles continue as they lose their sixth straight game and seven of eight, falling into a tie with San Antonio for the eight seed out west

Nuggets pull half game ahead of OKC and San Antonio while Minnesota stays one game up on the eight seed

The Heat charge continues, winning nine of 10 games and now sit one game behind the Nets for the eight seed. Nets have lost four of five following a four-point loss to the Bulls. Magic have lost seven of eight and have work to do to catch Brooklyn as they sit 1.5 back.

The Raptors and Hawks sit slightly above the fray of the eight-seed battle, both being two games above the Nets. However, the Hawks have lost four of five and a once seemingly relatively secure playoff spot could become questionable. The Raptors got a valuable win over the Kings on Sunday, ending a three-game skid.

[marshdaddy]

March 8 Action
The Bucks got a valuable win in Denver, but it wasn’t without some losses. Giannis led the way with 30 points and 12 rebounds, his fourth-straight double-double, but was evaluated for a minor ankle sprain. The team lists him as day-to-day and he is questionable for the team’s matchup with Boston on Thursday.

The Bucks also lost George Hill, who suffered a bruised right hip after taking a hard fall following a drive to the hoop in the third quarter. Hill isn’t expected to play on Thursday against Boston but the team has not ruled out a return against the Warriors on Saturday.

MIlwaukee has been on a roll as of late, winning four of their previous five games and pulling within two games of the Celtics for the two seed. Including their Thursday night tilt, the Bucks and Celtics meet twice over the season’s final 20 games, making the first meeting this week valuable as the Bucks look to pull themselves up the playoff standings.

The Hawks skid continues following a 117-115 loss to the Hornets on Monday night. Malik Monk had 26 points, the fourth straight game that the third year pro has gone for 20 or more points. The loss drops the Hawks to 32-32 and now just 1.5 games ahead of the Nets in the six seed.

The only fortunate part of the day for Atlanta was that the Raptors troubles also continued as they fell to the Jazz 130-110 on Utah. Donovan Mitchell finished the night with 28 points, while Mike Conley added 25 and Jordan Clarkson contributed 23. Rudy Gobert (16 points, 20 rebounds) and Willie Cauley-Stein (10 points, 10 rebounds) had double-doubles for the Jazz.

What once seemed like a three-team race for the eight seed among Brooklyn, Miami and Orlando has expanded to a five-team hunt for the six-through-eight seeds. The Hawks and Raptors, each sitting at .500, have just a two-game edge on Miami, who is currently a half game behind the Nets in the nine seed.

March 9’s big games:
Golden State hosts the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night in a potential playoff preview. The Warriors have been rolling, losing only one game since Christmas while the Clippers are coming off a valuable win over the Lakers on Sunday.

Houston and Minnesota meet in Houston in what is currently the three-versus-six matchup out West. Robert Covington will see his former team for the first time since he was dealt to Houston in a four-team blockbuster deal which netted the Timberwolves D’Angelo Russell. While the Timberwolves are nine games above .500, they site only 1.5 games ahead of the Thunder, Nuggets and Spurs who are currently locked in a three-way tie for the eight seed. In order to stay above the fray, the Timberwolves need a win on Tuesday.

Among those three teams, only the Spurs are in action on Tuesday as they play host to the Timberwolves.

The Nets, who see themselves in a five-team fight for the East’s final three playoff spots, head to Los Angeles to see LeBron and the Lakers. The game is part of a rough west coast trip for the Nets that includes trips to the Warriors and Clippers.

The Magic are in action, but get a slightly better draw as they head to Memphis to visit the Grizzlies.